"And now, let me introduce our two contestants!"
The yellow-haired announcer—sporting sunglasses and speaking with a voice capable of whipping the crowd into a frenzy—pointed toward Goku and announced:
"This gentleman is someone many of you surely recognize: he is the runner-up from the previous tournament—Son Goku!
He is also a disciple of Master Roshi—the Turtle Hermit—who is hailed as the 'God of Martial Arts'!"
Having said that, he turned to point at Tien Shinhan:
"And this gentleman—although he is making his debut in the World Martial Arts Tournament—possesses a background that is equally astonishing!
He is a disciple of the Crane Hermit—Master Shen—a martial artist whose prowess rivals that of the Turtle Hermit himself!
Furthermore, among the eight finalists who emerged victorious from the preliminary rounds—besting a field of 186 competitors—three are disciples of the Turtle Hermit, and two are disciples of the Crane Hermit! Isn't that incredible?"
"Whoa!"
A collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the crowd below.
Although, in truth, many of them didn't actually know of—or recognize—either the Turtle Hermit or the Crane Hermit. Most of the ordinary people who had come to watch were merely there to join in the excitement; they possessed absolutely no understanding of the martial arts world.
However, upon hearing that five of the eight qualifying contestants were disciples of these two men—the Turtle Hermit and the Crane Hermit—they were deeply impressed by the formidable power of the masters themselves.
"Alright! Now, let us eagerly look forward to the thrilling matches that lie ahead!"
As the gong rang out amidst thunderous applause, the tournament officially began.
"Next, allow me to expose your little sleight of hand!"
Tien Shinhan assumed the opening stance of the Crane School. The instant the gong sounded, he flashed forward at his absolute maximum speed, charging straight toward Goku.
Although it was merely a "sleight of hand," it undeniably served as a powerful psychological deterrent.
If Goku were allowed to unleash that illusionary technique first, Tien Shinhan would find himself in an extremely passive position for the remainder of the battle. Therefore, he had to seize the initiative—striking first before his opponent could even launch his move.
"He's so strong!"
Watching from behind the ring, Krillin and Yamcha witnessed the explosive burst of speed Tien Shinhan displayed and immediately realized just how terrifyingly powerful he truly was.
If they were the ones standing in the ring facing Tien Shinhan right now, they likely wouldn't even have had time to react.
This proved that during the preliminary rounds, the Crane School's head disciple had been concealing the vast majority of his true strength.
Moments later, the two let out another gasp of astonishment, their expressions growing even more grave.
For as Tien Shinhan closed in on Goku, he unleashed a rapid-fire barrage of punches. His speed was so extreme that it created the illusion of a hundred hands striking at Goku simultaneously.
It was worth noting that the signature technique of King Chapa—the champion of the World Martial Arts Tournament held two editions prior—was known as the "Eight-Hand Fist."
That technique involved striking with such blinding speed that, in an instant, it appeared as though eight hands were attacking at once, leaving an opponent with absolutely no time to defend themselves.
Yet now, Tien Shinhan's standard attacks had already surpassed King Chapa's ultimate technique.
If one were to give it a name, it could easily be dubbed the "Hundred-Hand Fist."
Likewise, the uninitiated spectators—seeing Tien Shinhan suddenly appear to sprout a hundred extra hands—let out collective gasps of shock and amazement. They had never witnessed a spectacle like this before; it was completely different from any other martial arts tournament they had ever watched. It felt less like a fight and more like a magic show.
"That is the true power of Tien Shinhan! How could that 'Stupid Turtle's' disciples possibly compare to mine?"
Down below, standing beside Bulma and the others as he watched the battle, the Crane Hermit was momentarily stunned by the sudden burst of power Tien Shinhan unleashed.
But just as quickly, he began to crow triumphantly.
He knew his disciple, Tien Shinhan, was strong—but he never imagined he was this strong. Even if the Crane Hermit himself were to fight at full power, he still wouldn't be able to match the sheer attack speed Tien Shinhan was displaying right now.
"What on earth...?"
However, what happened next left him utterly dumbfounded.
He watched as the Goku—standing perfectly still—simply raised a single hand and, with complete composure, effortlessly blocked the terrifying barrage of attacks launched by Tien Shinhan's hundreds of arms.
He didn't even shift his footing in the slightest.
"Your speed is a bit slow, and your attack power isn't exactly impressive either. Is this really the extent of your strength?"
As he blocked Tien Shinhan's attacks with just one hand, the Goku tilted his head, wearing an expression of genuine puzzlement.
Given how arrogant his opponent had been earlier, Goku had assumed he was truly powerful—strong enough to provide a genuinely good fight.
But this was the result?
With such lackluster attack power and speed, Goku simply couldn't muster much interest in the fight.
"He actually blocked my attacks with just one hand!"
Hearing Goku's words, Tien Shinhan's face darkened. He withdrew his attacks, retreated to his original position, and—breathing slightly heavily—replied:
"I have to admit, I underestimated you. You really do have some skills. Very well, then—try handling this technique!"
He had assumed his opponent relied entirely on optical illusions to intimidate others, never imagining that the boy possessed such formidable inherent strength of his own.
Just moments ago, he hadn't held anything back or attempted to probe his opponent; he had gone all-out from his very first move.
Yet, every single one of his techniques had been blocked with effortless ease.
This meant that in terms of close-quarters combat, he was at a distinct disadvantage; his opponent surpassed him in both strength and speed.
If he wanted to win now, he would have to unleash his ultimate technique.
"Dodon Ray!"
Gathering his energy into his fingertip, he thrust his hand forward. The signature ultimate technique of the Crane School struck out with explosive force. A beam of energy, as thick as a finger, shot out like a laser directly toward Goku.
"Dodon Ray... do you know that technique—the very same one used by Mercenary Tao, the man I killed?"
Goku raised his hand and effortlessly deflected the incoming Dodon Ray, a look of puzzlement appearing on his face.
Three years ago, in their quest to gather the Dragon Balls, the Red Ribbon Army had dispatched an assassin named "Mercenary Tao" to hunt him down.
Had it not been for the assistance of Korin—the Cat Sage of Korin Tower—who helped him boost his power level, he would have nearly met his end at that assassin's hands.
And that assassin's signature technique was none other than the "Dodon Ray."
It was precisely because he had clashed with that assassin on three separate occasions that he, too, had learned how to perform the Dodon Ray.
Later, during his adventures across various worlds, the Dodon Ray would prove to be a technique of considerable utility.
While the Dodon Ray lacks the sheer destructive power of the Kamehameha, it compensates with its lightning-fast attack speed and high rate of fire.
The Dodon Ray currently being unleashed by Tien Shinhan—his opponent—was vastly more powerful than the version Mercenary Tao had used all those years ago.
However, Goku himself was no longer the same boy he had been three years ago, either.
To be honest, a Dodon Ray of this caliber—even if he hadn't bothered to deflect it with his finger—would have merely struck his body without standing the slightest chance of breaching his defenses.
"You insolent brat! What did you just say? How could Uncle Mercenary Tao possibly have been killed by you?"
Upon hearing those words, Tien Shinhan's expression instantly darkened, his voice laced with sheer disbelief.
Mercenary Tao was the younger brother of his own master, the Crane Hermit; he was renowned as the world's greatest assassin and had left a profound impression on Tien Shinhan during his childhood.
At one time, he had even idolized Mercenary Tao, aspiring to follow in his footsteps and become the world's greatest assassin himself.
"Why would I lie to you? That happened three years ago—and believe me, it took every ounce of my strength to defeat him back then.
"That said, your power level is significantly higher than his was.
"If we had fought three years ago, I certainly wouldn't have stood a chance against you."
"Perhaps... it really is true."
Faced with the fact that his own recent, torrential barrage of attacks had been parried with such effortless ease, the notion that this opponent could have killed Mercenary Tao no longer seemed quite so impossible.
He turned his head to look toward the spectator stands, where his master, the Crane Hermit, was seated. By now, Crane Hermit's face was contorted with rage.
He roared directly:
"No wonder! No wonder I haven't been able to reach him for the past three years—it turns out it was all because of you, you bastard!
I want you dead! Tien Shinhan, kill him for me!"